Nokia planning Symbian UI overhaul

Nokia’s made no secret of the fact that Symbian will be getting a major upgrade in 2011, with a string of software boosts already promised. But until now, detail of just what we can expect has been thin on the ground.

Fortunately, some snippets about Espoo’s plans have leaked out after a presentation at Beijing’s International Mobile Internet Conference. Word is that an update in the first quarter of 2011 will bring a new browser with an easier interface, something Symbian has been crying out for for years.

But the big changes are set to come in Q2 and Q3, when Nokia gives the whole look of Symbian a refresh, promising, "a new look and feel for the user interface, a more flexible home screen, an updateable HTML5 browser and an easier software update experience".

That’s certainly great news, especially as even Symbian 3 doesn’t feel as up-to-date as it could be. Expect to see more on this at next year’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in February.